and, technology is also having an impact, smartphones and email mean it's rare people are every truly alone with their thoughts. >> if you allow yourself some time to breathe, some time to play, it refreshes you, it helps your mind function better. >> reporter: while not every industry may be ready to introduce play corners in their workplaces, nearly 80% of americans say they wish they could recapture some of the imagination, fun and creativity of their childhood. ruben ramirez, "n.b.r.," new york. >> susie: as 2012 winds down, the end of the year is often a time when we reflect. tonight, "lou's been thinking" about old friends and the best gift ever. here's author and educator lou heckler. >> in the past few weeks, i have lost three friends. i know it's part of getting older, and it still gets you thinking: how will we be measured? poet philip james bailey writes: we live in deeds, not years, in thoughts, not breaths, in feelings, not figures on a dial. there are many deeds to recount in business: profit and loss estimates, new product introductions, new markets entered and conquere